


Sensory Overload

by Booker_DeShit



Series: The autistic DeWitt's series [6]
Category: BioShock Infinite
Genre: Angst and Humor, Autistic Booker DeWitt, Autistic Elizabeth (BioShock), Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Light Angst, Light-Hearted, Sensory Overload, Some Humor, sensory issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:14:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21767437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Booker_DeShit/pseuds/Booker_DeShit
Summary: Booker's biggest sensory issue is heat & hight temperatures. ALmost always does it send him into meltdowns. Elizabeth doesn't understnad her companion's actions, but understands what he felt.
Relationships: Booker DeWitt & Elizabeth
Series: The autistic DeWitt's series [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559641
Kudos: 14





	Sensory Overload

Elizabeth hadn’t known Booker DeWitt for very long, but she liked him. Although, she had to admit, he was quite weird, & nothing like the characters from her books. For one, all the heroes of her books were tall, muscular & handsome men, who were often very charismatic & athletic & always there to save the damsel in distress. Booker... well, he had the tall & muscular down (not to mention that he saved her but Elizabeth didn’t like to think of herself as a defenceless damsel), but he was also gruff rather than charismatic, & looked as if someone had kicked his puppy, or however that saying went. He almost never smiled, & constantly looked angry. Although, she rarely smiled either, so that made two of them. It was just the fact that he constantly looked annoyed, all scowling & eyebrows down turned, but didn’t really act like it. He was rather kind to her, almost soft it felt like, & was quiet. He didn’t speak much unless spoken too, & even when he did speak, he spoke straight to the point & quickly, which Elizabeth, quite frankly, enjoyed about him. And, most importantly, there was no annoying small talk. All their conversations had some sort of purpose, whether that was to talk about their currently situation, or when Elizabeth wanted to simply get to know her ‘saviour’. And when neither of them were up for talking, the silence was rather pleasant.

Another weird thing about him, was that he never made eye contact. She could tell right away when she first met him that he wasn’t looking her in the eyes, but was very good at faking it. That lack of eye contact didn’t strike her as suspicious. She had read that people who lied would often avoid eye contact, but Booker seemed very determined on looking her in the eye, without actually looking her in the eye. She couldn’t really figure it out, aside from maybe that she was making too much eye contact & was simply making him uncomfortable? Whatever the reason, it was another weird thing about Booker.

Not to mention the bin rummaging. You’d think the man hadn’t had a solid meal in months! Maybe he hadn’t, & simply never told her? Either way, even with perfectly good food lying around the streets, she’d just find Booker dumpster diving like some 6’1 monster raccoon whenever no one else was watching. As much as she agreed that the residents of Columbia where very wasteful, throwing perfectly good food away, sticking your head down dumpsters didn’t seem necessary.

When she brought up her concern to Booker that he’d sooner or later catch something or develop food poisoning, he only shrugged & said, “Can’t let good food go to waste.” Maybe he was just brought up that way? At least during the aforementioned sticking hands down garbage bins, Booker would stick his tongue out in concentration, which Elizabeth found both very silly, & very cute. The way it just stuck out made her want to poke it! Poke.

Don’t even get her started on his terrible pants, though. They were horrendous! Did he leave the house without changing out of his pyjama pants? The man had no sense of style! Once they ended up in Paris, she vowed to take him to the nearest clothes shop & get him some actual clothes. She’d even physically drag him there if that was what it took!

Not to mention how she swears she saw him eat a cake whole. Of course, they had done quite a lot of running around in these last few hours, & he did have to fight through quite the number of guards, but a whole cake? Maybe he _hadn’t_ had a solid meal in months? Either way, that was another thing to add to her ever growing list of why Booker DeWitt was a weirdo (an endearing weirdo, but still a weirdo.)

They were just headed for the Shock Jockey in that moment, having just found out that the power to call the First Lady Airship had gone out. They, or rather, Booker, had done quite a lot of fighting barely minutes earlier, & it really seemed to be coming back to him rather quickly. He suddenly groaned, slowing considerably in his powerwalk towards the Shock Jockey.

“Mr DeWitt?”

“Booker.” He hissed out before Elizabeth had a chance to really finish the word. He hunched over in that moment, leaning on his knees.

“Booker, sorry. Are you alright?” She walked up to his crouched form, but hesitated to touch him & simply stood a little way back.

“Yeah. Just a bit hot.” He stood back up, stumbling over to the nearest bench.

“Hot?” She trotted up beside him, but still gave him his space.

“Yeah, from all that fighting.” She nodded in understanding. She then saw him dive his hand into a trash can again, & come up again with an unopened bottle of water. How it hadn’t smashed in there, Elizabeth wasn’t sure.

“Would you... like to take a break?” She asked as he popped the bottle cap open.

“If you need a break, then have a seat.” He sounded breathless as he said it, & he was tapping his leg nervously. He shuffled up on the bench, & she obediently sat down beside him. _She_ wasn’t really tired, but _he_ clearly was, & if he didn’t want to say it, then she wouldn’t force him. Elizabeth looked over just as Booker pressed the tip of the water bottle to his lips. He took a sip from it, & then... he poured the water over his head. The water splashed around, hitting Elizabeth on the cheek. She didn’t like that; it felt like the droplets were lingering on her skin where they shouldn’t, & it felt wrong.

“What are you doing?” She exclaimed, shooting up from her seat. He brought the bottle back into his hands, but the momentum made the water splash everywhere, soaking Elizabeth’s shoes. He stared at her in horror, with his hands shaking around the bottle, & water dripping down his forehead.

“Elizabeth...” Elizabeth seemed not to care about her shoes, but the water on her face she was desperately trying to wipe off. It just felt so wrong to her, & she had to get it off, “Elizabeth, I’m sorry.” Booker stood up too, & went up to help her but stood back. He was still dripping wet & gripped the bottle tightly in his hands. Elizabeth grasped his hands, slipping the bottle out before it shattered.

“It’s ok. Just a bit of water.”

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled again.

“I’m not angry, Mr DeWitt.” She assured him, which finally seemed to get a reaction out of him.

“It’s Booker.” He replied almost reflexively.

“Of course. My bad.”

“Sorry.” He mumbled again.

“It’s ok, Booker. No harm done, just don’t do it again.” He nodded absentmindedly, then fell back onto the bench behind him. He pressed the bottle to his lips again, but didn’t take a drink.

“It... I’m sorry about splashing you, but it was the only way I could think off too cool down.”

“Was it that bad?”

“Yes. I want to rip my skin off when that happens. It’s hard to think & breath,” Elizabeth understood that. She could remember instances when she’d get overwhelmed so much. Usually when she heard some unexpected loud noise. She didn’t really like those much, “It feels like my senses are constantly on overdrive, & it just gets worse when I get too warm.”

“That doesn’t sound good. But warn me next time, please.” Booker nodded.

“I will, I promise.”

“Let’s go get that Shock Jockey then.”

“Let’s.” 


End file.
